


Paris's wardrobe

by fandomaffected



Category: Bates Motel (2013)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-03-18
Updated: 2017-03-18
Packaged: 2018-10-07 05:56:44
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,681
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10353660
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fandomaffected/pseuds/fandomaffected
Summary: Norma and Alex find themselves stuck in a wardrobe together.





	

**Author's Note:**

> I still miss the real Norma, and an Alex who is not searching for revenge. So I wrote this. :)

Norma doesn’t know what she’s doing here. Honestly, coming here in the first place was a huge mistake, but she can’t back out now.

She has to say though, Bob Paris sure has a nice house.

She doesn’t know what she’s looking for exactly, just something that can give her the upper hand in this awful situation she’s ended up in. She thought she’s was going to be able to handle it – she got an education after all – but if she’s honest, she has already lost control. She has this flash drive with a bunch of names, an opportunity for her to get somewhere in this goddamn town. But everything’s gone to shit, she’s got a dangerous pit right next to her motel and a sheriff she doesn’t know if she can trust. She feels like she’s run out of luck, if she’s ever had any.

Not exactly anything new for Norma Bates.

* * *

 

Alex is a mess. He’s been drinking – there’s no way in hell he would do this sober.

One thing’s for sure, Bob Paris has a bigger house than he needs.

He’s looking for something that can give him the upper hand. That can give _her_ the upper hand. It’s a hell of a mess Norma has brought upon herself. Sometimes he wonders why he even bothers helping her. He is attracted to her – heck, who isn’t? – And the last thing he wants is her ending up in that pit in front of the motel.

Going here is grasping for straws, but what can he do? Norma Bates is dangerous, but not in the way someone might think. She’s dangerous because she makes his mind foggy, he can’t think straight around her. He doesn’t know if he’s ever felt this way before.

Something completely new for Alex Romero.

* * *

 

_Some car keys. A pen. A pocket knife. A few late bills._

_Nothing._

Norma starts to search through another box when she hears something. The sound is familiar – the jingle of keys, someone unlocking the front door. She starts to panic. When she had called Bob’s assistant earlier that day she had said that Bob would be gone over the night.

But Bob must be home early, because it’s just after midnight.

After a quick look around she realizes there’s no easy way out of the house. She has to hide.

Her eyes settle on a door she examined earlier; it’s a wardrobe, mainly filled with coats and shoes. She manages to sneak into it and close the door just as the front door opens.

_Shit._

Norma tries to control her breathing. Whoever just came into the front door – she assumes it’s Bob – has stopped, presumably looking around the room. She is wearing gloves, she’s been trying not to make a mess, but what if he still notices something is off? Norma doesn’t think her heart has ever pounded so hard. She looks through the little crack between the door and the wall. Probably-Bob walks out of the room, and she’s able to breathe again.

She almost screams when she realizes there’s someone else in the wardrobe.

* * *

 

Alex has to put his hand over Norma’s mouth to prevent her from screaming.

_What the hell is she doing here?_

She grabs his hand and pushes it off her before staring at him with confusion in her eyes.

“Why are you here Norma?” He asks her, and she gives him a look that probably would have killed Bob Paris.

“I could ask you the same.” She fights back, and Alex sighs.

“Since you’re not doing anything to help me, I decided to take the matter into my own hands.” She tells him.

“By doing what exactly? Sneak into Bob’s house and get caught?” He shoots back.

“Well do you have a better plan?” She asks, and they both sigh.

“It doesn’t matter, we have to get out of here.” Alex says.

“Aaaand, how do you think that’s going to happen?” She asks.

Truth is, he doesn’t know. Bob locked the front door when he closed it, and they won’t be able to lock it again from the outside. Leaving the door unlocked would be too suspicious, especially since Bob is extra careful with all the shit he has to hide.

The only way to get out would be the same way they got in, and Alex is guessing they came in through the same window. Problem is, it’s in the other side of the house, the same side of the house Bob was now walking around. They had to wait until Bob passed through this same room again so they could keep an eye on him, and not accidently meet him in one of the rooms.

“Okay, what we’re going to do is wait for Bob to come here again. Hopefully he will the walk into the room to the right, and we can escape through the window by going left.”

“Okay Sheriff, sounds like a great plan.” Norma says sarcastically.

“Norma, just trust me. What we’re doing right now is _illegal_ , and if we’re found I’ll lose my job.”

“Well, you shouldn’t have come here in the first place then.” Norma says as she looks out the crack.

“He’s here again.” She whispers. He walks over to one of the boxes she hasn’t had the opportunity to search yet, and opens the bag he’s carrying. He takes something out of the box – Norma can’t tell what it is – and places it carefully in the bag. He then proceeds to take out more and more out of the box, and Norma realizes what it is.

Bob Paris is packing money.

Even though it’s nothing she could use to get the upper hand, she is suddenly very interested. Where did he get that money? It’s probably something illegal, but Norma can’t help feeling a bit jealous. Why is it always the bad guys who get the money? Also, who hides money in a box?

“What is he doing?” Alex asks, but Norma just shushes him. He tries to get a better look himself, but Norma kicks his leg.

“What did you do that for?” He hisses.

“Just stop moving around, you’re making a lot of noise.” She looks out into the room again. Bob is done packing his money, and begins to walk into the room on the right. Norma jumps up.

“Alex, he’s out! Let’s go!” She says as she opens the wardrobe door. She has taken charge over him, and even though he can’t say he doesn’t like it, it’s not the best idea. He pushes Norma behind him.

“Whatever, sheriff bulldog.”

They try to walk fast but quiet, something which is almost ruined when Norma bumps into a table, almost knocking down a plant. Alex just manages to catch it before it falls.

They finally make it to the window, and Alex jumps out first without even thinking about Norma.

“Alex, I’m not going to jump!” She hisses, but that’s exactly what she does a few seconds later when she thinks she’s hearing Bob walking towards her. She almost ends up knocking Alex over, but he gets out of the way in the last moment.

Slowly they start walking away from the house, making sure to avoid windows.

“Where did you park your car?” She asks.

“I didn’t bring it.” He says.

“Did you honestly walk here?” She asks him. “Because that’s just unnecessary.”

“No Norma, it _is_ necessary. Bob keeps track on everything around here, he would definitely notice a car.”

“So why didn’t he notice mine?” She gives him a look, and honestly, he has no good answer. “Come on, I’ll give you a ride home.”

“No, Norma. I’m fine, trust me, I need a walk.” He tries to fight, but she is determined.

“No, you’re coming with me, that’s that.”

* * *

 

After a silent car ride, they finally make it to Alex’s house. Norma parks the car, and turns to Alex. She has to tell him what she saw. Someone carrying around a bag full of money is never a good idea.

“Bob Paris was packing a bunch of money in a bag.” She tells him.

Alex looks at her. He was already suspecting that Bob was leaving, just not so soon. He knows the DEA is looking for him, but he must have laundered a lot more money than Alex thought if he’s already getting ready to go.

“When we were at his house? Was that what he was doing?” Alex asks.

“Yes.”

“And you’re sure it was money?”

“Yes.”

“Completely sure?”

“Yes, Alex, I’m sure!” Norma sighs. She doesn’t like other people helping her, it makes her feel small. Truth is, Norma would probably still be in that wardrobe if it wasn’t for Alex. She is grateful, she really is, but the whole situation makes her feel like a failure. Like someone who can sneak _into_ a house but not _out_ of it.

“It’s late. You should drive home, Norma.” Alex says and begins to get out of the car.

“Alex, wait.” Norma says, and Alex sinks back into the car seat.

At first he’s startled when he feels her arms around his neck, but when he realizes what’s happening he doesn’t hesitate to hug her back.

She feels strangely safe in his arms, like everything’s going to be okay. With her luck it’s probably not going to be okay, but right now it at least feels like a possibility.

“Thank you.” She whispers. Not just for tonight, but for all the times he has helped her even though she’s been impossible to deal with.

“It’s no problem. Anytime.” He knows he has said the right answer when she gives him a quick kiss on the cheek. They let go of each other, and she starts the engine.

“Goodnight Norma.” He says before stepping out of the car. He watches as her Mercedes rolls out onto the road and drives away, and he knows he has to kill Bob Paris.

He has finally let his walls down, and it feels better than he ever thought it would.


End file.
